Spanish Greetings People Use Every Day

Quick answer

Start with Hola (OH-lah), hello. In every Spanish-speaking country it works with anyone, at any hour, and the usual next words are ¿Qué tal? (keh TAHL), how's it going? With strangers and older people, greet by the time of day: Buenos días until noon, or until lunch in Spain, then Buenas tardes. Plain Buenas is the short form of both.

Best forLearners who want the greetings people say in Spain and Latin America, marked casual or polite and by country.

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Hello, from casual to polite

Hola works with anyone. Buenos días, buenas tardes and buenas noches sound more polite, and Buenas is the short form of all three.

Spanish	Pronunciation	Meaning
Hola	OH-lah	Hello, hi Fine at any time of day. With older people, add the time of day: Hola, buenos días. The h is silent.
Buenas	BWEH-nahs	Hi (short for buenos días, buenas tardes or buenas noches) Everyday in Spain as you walk into a shop, a bar or an elevator. Also common in parts of Latin America.
Hola, buenas	OH-lah, BWEH-nahs	Hi there Spain. The usual hello to staff as you walk in somewhere.
Buenos días	BWEH-nohs DEE-ahs	Good morning Until about noon in Latin America. In Spain people say it until lunch, around 2 p.m.
Buenas tardes	BWEH-nahs TAR-dehs	Good afternoon, good evening From noon, or from lunch in Spain, until it gets dark. In a Spanish summer that can mean 9 p.m.
Buenas noches	BWEH-nahs NOH-chehs	Good evening, good night After dark, both to say hello and to say goodbye.

How are you? The questions people ask

Use tú with friends and people your age, and usted with strangers, older people and customers. Spain uses usted less than most of Latin America.

Spanish	Pronunciation	Meaning
¿Qué tal?	keh TAHL	How's it going? Casual or polite, everywhere. Often joined to hello: Hola, ¿qué tal?
¿Cómo te va?	KOH-moh teh BAH	How's it going? Very common in Latin America.
¿Cómo estás?	KOH-moh ehs-TAHS	How are you? (tú) To friends, family and people your age.
¿Cómo está?	KOH-moh ehs-TAH	How are you? (usted) To older people, strangers and customers.
¿Qué onda?	keh OHN-dah	What's up? Mexico, casual. Also heard in Central America, Argentina and Chile.
¿Qué pasa?	keh PAH-sah	What's up? Spain, casual. Friends often add tío or tía: ¿Qué pasa, tío?
¿Qué hubo?	keh OO-boh	What's up? Colombia, casual. Said fast, it runs together into one word.
¿Todo bien?	TOH-doh BYEN	All good? Casual, everywhere.

How people answer

Muy bien, gracias is what courses teach, and it is fine. Day to day, answers are shorter, and people turn the question back.

Spanish	Pronunciation	Meaning
Bien, ¿y tú?	BYEN, ee TOO	Good, and you? The everyday answer among friends.
Bien, gracias, ¿y usted?	BYEN, GRAH-syahs, ee oos-TEHD	Fine, thanks, and you? (usted) The polite answer to someone you call usted. With friends: Bien, gracias, ¿y tú?
Todo bien	TOH-doh BYEN	All good Casual, everywhere.
Tirando	tee-RAHN-doh	Getting by Spain, casual. Not great, not bad.
Ahí vamos	ah-EE BAH-mohs	Getting by Latin America, casual. In Mexico, ahí la llevo is also common.
Nada, ¿y tú?	NAH-dah, ee TOO	Not much, you? The usual answer to ¿Qué pasa? in Spain or ¿Qué onda? in Mexico.

Meeting someone

In Spain, friends and people introduced socially often greet with dos besos, a light touch on each cheek, while men usually shake hands with men. In much of Latin America it is one cheek kiss. At work a handshake is the safe default. Customs vary, so follow the other person's lead.

Spanish	Pronunciation	Meaning
Mucho gusto	MOO-choh GOOS-toh	Nice to meet you The usual phrase in Latin America. Spain understands it but says encantado or un placer.
Encantado	ehn-kahn-TAH-doh	Nice to meet you (said by a man) A woman says encantada. The usual phrase in Spain.
¿Cómo te llamas?	KOH-moh teh YAH-mahs	What's your name? Casual. To someone you call usted: ¿Cómo se llama?
Soy…	SOY	I'm… The quickest way to give your name: Soy Ana. Me llamo Ana works too.

Answering the phone and texting

Each country answers the phone its own way.

Spanish	Pronunciation	Meaning
¿Sí?	SEE	Hello? (answering the phone) Spain. ¿Diga? and the more formal ¿Dígame? are also common.
¿Bueno?	BWEH-noh	Hello? (answering the phone) Mexico.
¿Aló?	ah-LOH	Hello? (answering the phone) Colombia, Peru, Chile, Venezuela and much of South America.
Besos	BEH-sohs	Kisses (to sign off) Signs off a text to family, close friends or a partner. Un beso is one kiss. Between male friends, un abrazo (a hug) is more usual.

Goodbyes

Spanish	Pronunciation	Meaning
Hasta luego	AHS-tah LWEH-goh	See you later The everyday goodbye, even to a shop assistant you will never see again.
Adiós	ah-DYOHS	Goodbye Correct everywhere. Among friends, hasta luego or nos vemos is more common.
Chao	CHOW	Bye Casual. Common in Spain and South America; Argentina and Uruguay spell it chau. In Mexico you also hear the English bye.
Nos vemos	nohs BEH-mohs	See you Casual, everywhere.
Hasta mañana	AHS-tah mah-NYAH-nah	See you tomorrow Natural everywhere. In Mexico, Nos vemos mañana is the more common choice.
Que te vaya bien	keh teh BAH-yah BYEN	Have a good one Latin America, as someone leaves. Que le vaya bien to someone you call usted.
Cuídate	KWEE-dah-teh	Take care Casual, to friends and family.

Frequently asked questions

How do people greet each other in Spanish?

With Hola, usually followed by ¿Qué tal? or ¿Cómo estás? Friends in Spain add dos besos, a light touch on each cheek; in most of Latin America it is one. With strangers and older people, a time-of-day greeting such as Buenos días is more polite, and at work people shake hands.

How do I answer ¿Cómo estás?

Say Bien, ¿y tú? (fine, and you?). With someone you call usted, say Bien, gracias, ¿y usted? Muy bien, gracias is correct too, but it sounds more formal than the everyday answer. If things are so-so, Tirando works in Spain and Ahí vamos in Latin America.

When do you switch from buenos días to buenas tardes?

Around noon in most of Latin America. In Spain people switch at lunch, which can mean 2 p.m. Buenas noches starts once it is dark. If you are unsure, say Buenas.

Do people greet differently in Spain and Latin America?

Yes, in slang and on the phone. Hola, Buenos días and ¿Qué tal? work everywhere. Spain says ¿Qué pasa? and answers the phone with ¿Sí? or ¿Diga? Mexico says ¿Qué onda? and answers with ¿Bueno? Colombia says ¿Qué hubo? and answers with ¿Aló? Spain also uses tú with more people, where much of Latin America uses usted.

Is it polite to say de nada?

Yes. De nada (you're welcome) is the standard, polite reply to gracias in every Spanish-speaking country. You will also hear No hay de qué, which sounds more formal.